San Miguel Levels Series with Ginebra; TNT Inches Closer to Finals

In the 2025 PBA Philippine Cup semifinals, San Miguel dominated Ginebra while TNT overcame injuries to take a 3-1 lead. San Miguel's big man June Mar Fajardo led the charge, while TNT's Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser and Jordan Heading stepped up. Find out how these teams secured crucial wins.

Jul 3, 2025 - 02:55
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San Miguel Levels Series with Ginebra; TNT Inches Closer to Finals

In a pivotal night of the 2025 PBA Philippine Cup semifinals, both San Miguel and TNT delivered emphatic answers to win their Game 4s. San Miguel played through their dominant big man June Mar Fajardo to overpower Ginebra with a lopsided 107-82 win. Meanwhile, an injury-depleted TNT found unlikely heroes to get a 108-92 win and take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.

Let's take a look at how San Miguel's return to Fajardo's post dominance overwhelmed Ginebra and how TNT's resilience, led by Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser and Jordan Heading, propelled them to a victory.

San Miguel's reverts to Fajardo's post dominance

San Miguel and Ginebra traded punches in a tightly contested first half, with both teams leaning into their strengths. Ginebra once again exploited Fajardo's drop coverage in the pick-and-roll and capitalized on the two-man game with Troy Rosario rolling to the rim and Japeth Aguilar popping for midrange jumpers. They also took advantage of mismatches when Juami Tiongson was forced to defend bigger Ginebra wings.

On the other end, San Miguel responded by making RJ Abarrientos work defensively, with Jericho Cruz and even Jeron Teng turning up their aggression as scoring threats.

It set the stage for a key question heading into the second half: Who would blink first and make the right adjustments to pull ahead?

That answer came swiftly in the third quarter when San Miguel outscored Ginebra 30-12. The Beermen leaned into what has worked best: June Mar Fajardo.

Fajardo may have only finished with three assists, but his increased touches in the post bent Ginebra's defense, forced rotations and scramblhelp that opened up the floor. His gravity didn't always lead directly to buckets, but it catalyzed ball movement, hockey assists, and clean looks.

Fajardo was dominant, especially on the offensive glass and when catching on short rolls and drop passes. His posted stat line -- 12 points, 19 rebounds, two steals, and a block -- showed the impact he provided without needing to score in volume.

That inside presence created a ripple effect. With the defense collapsing, San Miguel found open shooters off multiple swings, and Tiongson and Cruz delivered. The duo combined for 26 points while shooting 60% from beyond the arc, punishing Ginebra's late closeouts.

Defensively, San Miguel was locked in, loading up on help when Ginebra involved Fajardo in perimeter actions. With the low man tagging and Fajardo showing higher in ball screens, Ginebra coughed up six turnovers in that third frame alone, many of which led to easy transition buckets.

From Ginebra's side, they were much in the fight through the first two quarters, finding seams in San Miguel's defense. But the second half told a different story. Their top guns couldn't get going when it mattered most, and that stagnation proved costly. The big question now for Ginebra: What can they generate when the triangle offense doesn't immediately create advantages?

TNT leans on Ganuelas-Rosser and Heading's brilliance

Injuries continue to pile up for TNT, with Kelly Williams and Calvin Oftana the latest to be added to the list. Fortunately, Oftana was able to return after a minor ankle sprain, while the veteran Williams spent most of the game on the bench. But despite being banged up, they once again found ways to manufacture enough offense to overpower Rain or Shine in a pivotal Game 4.

It all started with a massive 39-22 run in the third quarter that flipped a six-point halftime deficit into an 11-point lead entering the final frame. The unexpected catalysts? Glenn Khobuntin and Kim Aurin.

Khobuntin stepped up in a big way, drilling open 3-pointers off dribble penetration, punished late closeouts with drives, and crashed the glass. He finished with 16 points and five boards, including four on the offensive end - doing all the dirty work to keep possessions alive.

Aurin gave TNT valuable minutes as a secondary ball-handler and playmaker, putting up seven points, five rebounds, and three assists while helping keep the offense humming.

But it was in the fourth quarter where Heading and Ganuelas-Rosser truly buried Rain or Shine. Ganuelas-Rosser's showed his full versatility in this game - an ideal tweener who could finish plays off the roll, grab second-chance opportunities down low, stretch the floor, and even initiate handoff actions in empty-side sets. He posted a highly efficient 22-point, 11-rebound double-double on a 64.4 TS%.

As for Heading, the former Gilas sharpshooter looked the healthiest he's been since joining TNT. He orchestrated their dribble-drive offense with poise, while surgically exposing Rain or Shine's drop coverage, particularly through their big man Keith Datu.

Rain or Shine's reluctance to switch left Heading free to rise up for jumpers, and he delivered -- finishing with 23 points, five rebounds, and six assists on an elite 86.4 TS%. He shot 3-of-6 from deep and even cashed in a 4-pointer to cap off his best game of the series.

Rain or Shine now finds itself staring at a win-or-go-home Game 5. While it was nostalgic to see flashes of vintage Gabe Norwood, leading the team in scoring with 18 points and adding nine rebounds, that's not a sustainable formula for success. If the team hopes to extend their season, the challenge will once again be their ability to create consistent offense in the half court.

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